LAYTON, Utah (ABC 4 News) – The chemical linked to the death of a four year old Layton girl was an unusual choice for rodent removal according to other experts in the pest control profession. Tracy Teeples from Beeline Pest Control says Aluminum Phosphide, is more commonly known as Fumitoxin. He says his company does not use it because of its strength, and volatile nature. “It’s 55-percent active ingredient compared to some of these other things we use that are .005 active ingredients.”
Teeples also says there are hundreds of safe rodent baits available to choose from. Most require the rodent to consume the poison in order to eliminate them. Even if consumed by a human he says the type his company uses would have to eaten in large amounts to cause harm. He says Fumitoxin does not require consumption to be deadly, it just requires moisture. “Fumitoxin can actually take effect before they even have to eat it. If it’s poured down a hole or something it will start reacting with air immediately and start letting off a gas toxin.”
Aluminum Phosphide reacts with the moisture in the soil or the atmosphere to produce deadly phosphine gas that is toxic to all mammals including humans. It is a colorless gas, which is heavier than air. The symptoms of phosphine poisoning include nausea, abdominal pain, and tightness in the chest, diarrhea, and respiratory failure. Teeples says the rodent bait is most commonly used in farm settings to remove rodents from granaries.
He says it can be highly effective in enclosed areas under very controlled circumstances.
It is not widely available; in fact he says there are only two distributors in Utah. A restricted use permit is required to purchase it. “With proper training and doing things the right way, things are safe now days. They are so heavily regulated. The trick is to make sure they are used the right way, and that the people doing the work are trained properly.
Teeples says Beeline Pest Control does not use the toxin because he believes there are safer and more effective products on the market.